


For Just a Minute

by WHIMWriter



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: F/F, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-03
Updated: 2018-02-03
Packaged: 2019-03-12 23:43:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13558074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WHIMWriter/pseuds/WHIMWriter
Summary: She leaned closer, her face nearing mine. I gulped and shuddered as her lips grazed my ear. "Tell me, Chaeyoung. If I caught a glimpse your face for just a minute," her voice softened as she realized our close proximity. "Would I like what I see?"





	1. Chapter 0: Entrance

**Author's Note:**

> A simple relationship fluff/angst between two girls bonding during their trainee years. Original story from AsianFanFics (my account is WHIZard) Yes, I corrected a TON of grammatical errors you might find on the original, but I'm too lazy to persist them in the other website. So enjoy this one.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before the story begins.

Thud. Thud. Thud. 

The sound of my own heartbeat reverberated in my ears as my throat constricted and my knees felt weak. 

Thud. Thud. Thud. 

Thousands of people surrounded me but did not pay any attention to me and my whereabouts. They were preoccupied with their own destinations. But that was the problem. 

I was at my destination. 

I wanted to run away, to turn and flee the scene, to rethink my thoughts on joining the entertainment industry. I suddenly felt so unsure of myself, so chaotic in mind and spirit. Why did I choose this path? 

I peered down at the contents of my right hand, a word of encouragement from my mother; as I had prepared to leave the house, she had tucked the folded piece of ivory white in my palm. I had wanted to ask her what she had written, but I became more concerned in my travels than her letter. So now I opened it.

Chaeyoung, my dearest daughter. I do not know when you'll be reading this, or even if you will be reading this at all, but I want to let you know how much I support and I love you. It doesn't matter how popular you are, or how famous you become. You are my daughter. You are my life-everlasting love. Do not let anything hinder you from achieving your dreams. Chaeyoung, I love you. 

Love, 

Mother.   
I looked around quickly to ensure nobody saw me sweep a hand over my face to wipe a tear that had run down my nose, but thankfully I was alone. I stuffed the note into my pocket, straightened my back and smiled. "Thank you, Mother." Reaching forward, I gripped the door handle, and took a deep breath. 

This was the start of my journey. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: Very short prologue, but I hope you'll get a (satisfying) taste of my writing style. Please enjoy! Chapter 1 will be very interesting!)


	2. Chapter 1: The Black Swan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chaeyoung is awed by someone

The audition room was more like a large gymnasium with a stage than anything else. And there were tons of girls. Some were off in the corner, practicing dance routines or singing songs, whilst others were conversing amongst themselves, forming friendships and rivalries alike. 

I hadn't really prepared a dance or a song to sing, but I clutched a sheet of lyrics I had written myself; a rap. Rapping had been my passion for a long time, after observing successful rappers, such as Jimin from AOA, or CL from 2NE1. I wanted to be like them. They were my role-models. 

Advancing forward, I managed to sign-in and guarantee I was on the list of participants. Thank goodness - I was. 

With only time to practice and observe, I seated myself at the far edge of the gymnasium. I practiced my rap a couple times working on emphasizing flow, correcting breathing, and perfecting speed. Past that, I continuously repeated line after line, honing my skills. 

Now, I could watch the other performances. 

There was another rapper who auditioned. She had a cute girly face, a cheerful smile, and more energy than six cans of Monster. Her rapping was pretty decent, too, but a bit on the airier side. However, she managed to make the whole room laugh when she demonstrated some kind of weird dance, which involved head-banging and flapping her arms like some sort of winged demon. Strange girl. 

There was a large handful of dancers, one of whom I noted was a Japanese artist, given her heavy accent, and unique features, namely blonde hair. When she danced her solo, I couldn't help but feel in awe of the power and crispness of her movements - something of which I hadn't really paid attention to in the other girls. She seemed very popular too, as the minute she stepped off the stage, a group of excited females crowded around. 

I could feel my stomach beginning to boil under the pressure of performing well. There were hundreds of performers all contesting to gain a privileged spot on JYP's training roster, and if I made a single mistake in what I did, I could just wave that chance goodbye. I had to give it my all. My turn came, and I successfully presented my rap without a hitch and receiving a fairly good response from the audience. Awesome.

I was beginning to bore from the repetitive nature of watching girls dance to either electronic pop or some slow sultry music that makes you think of candlelights and bedrooms (in that kind of way), so when another auditionee was led to the stage, I barely invested my interest. 

This time was different, however. The girl was awkward, quiet, and shuffled slowly in a way that reminded me impressively of an Antarctic creature; the penguin. Her hair was a dark color, but the edges were dyed a wine-red, which beautifully contrasted her obsidian outfit and pale skin. Barely anything was spoken between her and the judge, except for her name, age, and basic information. Unfortunately, I was too far away to hear properly what her voice, let alone what she said. 

To my surprise, she pulled a black piece of fabric from behind her and tied it over her eyes. Is she going to do some sort of magic trick? I wondered. Other people around me whispered to each other, asking essentially the same thing. What was she doing?

The music cued, and I immediately understood. 

She was dancing ballet. 

My eyes became riveted to her every move. The way she dipped and twirled and her arms floated gracefully through the air captivated my attention. Each movement was a combination of skill, grace, and phenomenal emotional portrayal of the song choice, a heartbreaking ballad. I watched in amazement as she leaped cleanly through the air, like the flight of a soaring bird. She spun in place for several seconds, reminding me of the childhood tops I used to play with. When she ended the rotation, she didn't even topple from the dizzying move but continued to move with ease and majestic charisma. I felt disappointed when she finished with an elegant bow. "More!" I wanted to shout, but my nerves prevented me from doing so. 

I continued to stare as she carefully left the stage, but she didn't remove the black scarf which still wound around her face and seemingly obscured her vision. There was is a scattering of polite applause spread throughout the room, but nothing like the cheering of the first, blonde dancer. I felt bad for her, but I just wanted to speak to her for a moment. 

I left my seat and approached her, reminding myself to speak courteously and in a friendly manner. As I neared the dancer, I could feel my confidence rapidly diminishing. She was drop-dead gorgeous; a real beauty with a well-formed face, pale, plump lips, and several cute beauty spots. Subconsciously, I fingered my own little mole, right beneath my lower lip. 

"Hello," I began cautiously as I sat next to the girl. She slowly turned her head in my direction. 

"Are you speaking to me?" When I heard her enunciate, I knew immediately she was another Japanese auditionee. Her voice caught me by surprise because of the low, yet warm and soft color she exemplified. 

"Yes," I responded, wishing I could think of something more intelligent to greet her with. "I just came by to tell you how much I enjoyed your performance. It was spectacular."

"Ah, thank you." A smile formed on her lips, and I caught sight of adorable gummy grin that made my heart feel jello-ish. "I didn't think many people liked it by the response I was given. I feel better now knowing that at least one person appreciated it." 

"You're welcome! I've never seen ballet in person, and it was sensational! I really wish I could dance half as well as that," I said eagerly, encouraging her to speak more. 

She laughed softly, and inquired, "What is your name?"

"I'm Son Chaeyoung. It's a pleasure to be of your acquaintance," I blurted out, remembering my mother's guidance of manners. "And you?"

"Myoui Mina. It's nice to meet you, and I hope you'll treat me nicely." 

My ears are still buzzing from when she laughed. It was more of a chuckle really, but it left those fuzzy little shivers going up and down my back. I glanced at her face, noting she couldn't see me staring from behind the black cloth. I needed to ask. "So, um...how come you haven't taken off that scarf yet?"

She shrugged indifferently, and said in a cooler voice, "Does it matter?"

I winced. I didn't want to offend her for her choice of style, but I assumed it would be a safety hazard due to a large amount of human beings crowding the place. "N-no, not really. Sorry for asking. That was a dumb question; it's your decision."

She shook her head. "I'm sorry as well. That was a rude choice of words for me to use. Please forgive me." 

After a period of uncomfortable silence, I spoke up. "Mina-ssi, what do you wish to accomplish by auditioning." 

There was hardly a pause before she replied. "I want to be accepted as who I am. I want to sing and dance and make other people happy. I want to share my love for performing with others. So far, I've been too shy to do those things; today was the first time I've been able to properly act on stage." 

Again, the quietude descended upon us together once more. I sat there, enjoying the presence of the girl, but at the same time, I felt intimidated by her covered eyes and straight posture. 

Auditions were almost finished by then, so I stood up to retrieve my things and leave. I bent over and bid my farewell to my new friend. "Goodbye, Mina-ssi. It was very nice talking with you. I hope you are accepted." As I turned to leave, she grabbed my wrist. 

"Wait." My heart started the flub nervously.

"What is it? Do you need something?"

"Yes. Could you help me find my cane?"

"Excuse me?" Her words didn't register. "What cane?"

"My cane," she repeated. "I need my walking cane."

I was started at her request, as I hadn't expected she needed a cane in order to transport herself, but I did her bidding. Soon I found it.

Damn.

Damn it.

Damn.

I wished the ground would swallow me up just like how it had swallowed those disbelieving people in the Bible.

 

It was a long white cane. 

 

Mina was blind. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N - that actually went pretty well, considering my notoriousness for being a rushing author and working on too many plots at once. Anyways! Did you like it? Please comment your reaction! Happy? Sad? Depressed? Excited? Disgusted? Angered? I know I personally felt surprised at Chaeyeong's immediate attraction toward Mina, as it's the opposite way around IRL. Oh, and by the way, this isn't set in real world, so of course it's not going to be the dates they actually joined JYP or anything... Have fun, readers! Enjoy!)


	3. Chapter 2: What Am I Gonna Do?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chaeyoung finds herself in an unusual predicament.

When I received word that I was accepted into the prestigious and difficult JYP training program, I was both overjoyed and astounded. Personally, I had felt my performance hadn't been the greatest, nor the most eye-catching, but I had been told that my charisma made be a liable candidate. 

And then there was that girl. 

Mina Myoui. 

The blind one.

Ugh, I hate that term. 

I really wondered about her. Was she approved well? Or was she hindered by her sight impediment? She had a lovely personality and gorgeous features, but I speculated that a someone with a condition such as hers would endure a difficult time in the Korean entertainment industry. Perhaps I was wrong. 

I hoped I was. 

I wanted to see her again. 

<><><><>

My last days at home consisted mostly of packing, saying goodbye to my school-friends, more packing, and overall all just mental preparation for what lay ahead of me. My mother in particular, though she seemed so thrilled that I would be pursuing my career, her face told me otherwise. 

"Mom!" I yelled as I rifled through the contents of my suitcase recklessly. "Have you seen my glasses?"

"What honey?" Mom walked into my room, wiping her hands on the front of her apron. I knew she had been making a lunchbox full of kimbap for my travels, even though I wasn't moving too far away. "Oh, I think I saw them on the living room table. Next to the remote and by the tissue box. I believe your dad put it there while he was cleaning the area." 

I looked up to thank her for helping me out, but my gaze was met with a frown. "What's wrong, Mom?"

She shook her head, but sat on my bed and beckoned me forward. When I settled down next to her, her warm arms encompassed me and I suddenly felt so safe and relaxed in her embrace. "Chaeyoung, I've supported you in your decision to pursue your dreams, but I want to let you know that there will be many, many hardships awaiting you. Hardships that will make you want to rethink your life, to quit what you love doing. That's what I'm worried about. My little Chaengie, you're a strong girl. You're optimistic and brave, but also a little stubborn. I know if you're hurt by something, you'll ignore it and turn to other things. I don't want you to ever hide any emotion pain you might be experiencing, Chaeyoung. Talk to someone. Form a close relationship with someone you trust and you relate to. Just my word of motherly advice, Chaengie. I love you so much; I'd never want you to fall apart on me."

I listened to my mother speak to me, and I watched as crystal droplets began to swirl in her vision, and in a moment, I felt my own geyser threatening to spill down my cheeks. Quickly, I wrapped my arms around her neck and said out loud, "Thank you" before turning around and wiping my oddly damp face. She chuckled, spun me around, and dabbed a single little bead that trickled down my nose. 

"Chaeyoung. It's time for you to be on your way." 

<><><><>

The ride to the JYP studio was different than my first excursion, being that it was a one-way trip. I probably wouldn't be going home for many months while I worked under the tutelage of various trainers in vocals, dancing, and my specialty; rapping. 

Inside the new training center I was assigned to, amongst the girls who successfully passed the audition included: Im Nayeon (another vocalist), Kim Dahyun (the crazy dancing girl), Hirai Momo (the talented Japanese dancer), Minatozaki Sana (another Japanese girl), Chou Chewy (or supposedly "Tzuyu" in her native Taiwanese), and the boyish Jeongyeon. And Mina. 

Mina was there. 

My heart skipped a beat. 

While most of the girls situated themselves in clusters, chatting languidly on random topics, Mina stood in the corner, grasping her cane. I scooted towards her. 

"Hi," I said awkwardly, moving my body against the way in a not-so-graceful fashion. Like the first time I met her, she fully turned her head in my direction before responding. I noted that she was no longer wearing the black scarf (that'd be ridiculous) and her eyes were a pale, indescribable color. She smiled. 

"Ah, Chaeyoung-ssi, is that you? I recognized your voice. Nice to talk to you again."

"Um, yeah." I felt even more uncomfortable than before now that her eyes were directed at me without the obstruction of the silk, and even though I knew she wasn't directly addressing my state in a whole, she was sensing my state of mind. "How've you been?"

"Oh, the usual," she said in a lackadaisical manner. "Practicing ballet, doing schoolwork, working on my singing, you know...panicking at the last moment because they told me to come in one day before the set date...all normal on the schedule." I discerned a hint of sarcasm in her words. 

"Must be tough," I acknowledge. 

"You don't say," she nodded. "Especially since it takes me twice as long to get where I need to be, considering that I can't really just point where I need to go." 

"Your parents didn't help you?"

"Parents?" I stiffened as she gave a mirthless laugh. "Chaeyoung, I don't have parents. Well, actually I do. We all do. Except they don't really consider me their daughter, and I don't really consider them my parents, so if you can equate the picture..." Her voice trailed off. "I have a brother named Jackson, but I haven't seen him for awhile now."

"Got it," I swallowed hard. Again, I felt like an idiot for assuming something. "Sorry. For asking. I...was wrong."

"Look, you don't need to pity me because I'm blind. I used to this stuff already. I really have no feelings on the matter. My parents don't love me, and I can't say I love them. I'm on my own for the most part, and that's just my life. I can deal with it. What I can't deal with is sympathy. 'Oh look, it's a blind girl. If we feel bad for her, we'll automatically redeem ourselves as good people'. I hate those kinds of persons!" Her voice, even being naturally a soft and husky voice, gradually increased in volume until she was nearly shouting. The other trainees stared at her and whispered amongst themselves, before Minatozaki Sana (that other Japanese girl) detached herself from her group and squatted in front of Mina. 

Sana spoke something to Mina in a a strange accent of Japanese that I couldn't translate, and a faint look of gratitude began to creep its way across Mina's facial features. It was like a rousing, yet gentle pep-talk that Sana gave her, with a calming lilt accompanying the rise and fall of her words. Mina finally shook her head and began to cry. I wanted to draw her into my arms, like my mother had right before my departure, but something held me back. Fear?

Sana was the one to console the sobbing girl, and her mother-hen aura really soothed the wounded soul. I felt abashed making a girl like Mina lament over her own personal conflicts. Eventually, the tears had slowed to a trickle, and Mina herself dried her eyes and heaved a large sigh, after thanking Sana for her kindness. "Chaeyoung-ssi, it's not your fault I'm like this right now. It's not anybody's fault. It's entirely my own. I get angry, and my anger turns into self-pity, and you know how I hate pity? I get frustrated, and that all ends up in waterfalls." 

I nodded but realized since she couldn't see my movement, said, "I understand, Mina-ssi," and due to my utter uselessness with words, found myself tongue-tied with what to say next, finding myself inexplicably studying Mina's gorgeous visuals instead. Damn it, Chaeyoung. Now's not the time. Say something, you fool. 

"How'd you become blind?" I blurted out without really stopping to check my words. 

Crap...Damn...Sh*t...F*ck...

Of all insensitive fricking things I could've asked, I asked that. 

"It's simple, really," she spoke in an indifferent voice, although I sensed a bit of frostiness beginning to arise. "The world is a cruel place. Where idiotic people like drunks and druggies should be kept in their places, and not allowed to drive through the streets of Tokyo haphazardly, crashing into cars left and right."

"Oh, that..." I recalled an international news broadcast relaying the scene across the world; a party of intoxicated people had decided to rule the streets for that night, driving at speeds over 100 m/h and causing mass damages to other vehicles, buildings, and victims. 

"Yep, so in short, my family's car was smashed, and a lot of me was damaged, and my optical nerves got messed up and I couldn't leave the hospital for a long time." She breathed, and continued in a softer voice, "Do you know what it's like to wake up, and be like you never opened your eyes? At first, I thought it'd be temporary, but no. The doctors said it would be too risky and too complicated a surgery to repair those tiny delicate nerves that thread throughout the brain in order to see. They've been contemplating a new device that sort of forms a pair of second eyes via glasses, but it's too expensive. For me, at least." 

I wanted to speak more with her, but when I hesitated, the dance instructor entered the room. The other room occupants turned their immediate attention to him, and as did I, to provoke respect. 

<><><><>

I knew Mina was a good ballet dancer, and that she totally stunned me with her perfect audition, but what I didn't expect was her ability to understand dance moves just by their description alone. It was like her body just moved naturally with the music, like a ripple of water. 

Myoui Mina was fascinating. 

"Chaeyoung-ssi?" I blinked back to reality as Minatozaki Sana waved a hand in front of my face. "You were day-dreaming something fierce just now," she chuckled lightly. I only nodded and smiled back. 

"So..." She settled herself beside me, opening a small bar of chocolate and offering it to me. I politely declined and watched in amusement as she gobbled the whole thing down. "Myoui Mina, huh?"

"Excuse me?"

"You like her."

"Me?" I felt my ears turning red. "Why would you think that?"

She laughed again and waggled a finger. "I'm a matchmaker of sorts. I can sense the budding relationships of two inexperienced individuals within a two-mile radius." 

"That's baloney," I protested. "And I don't like Mina in whatever way it is that you're suggesting. I just want to be her friend. She's a nice person and an interesting figure. She's an inspiration, really." 

Sana sighed dramatically and leaned back against the wall, arms situated behind her head. "Ah, the denial of young love. How harrowing." Suddenly, she sat up with such force, I almost tripped, even though I was sitting down. "Listen, Son Chaeyoung, I know you're lying. I know you're head over heels for that red-headed genius, and I don't want you to even try to deny it. Mina needs love. You heard her; her parents want nothing of her, her brother's gone... where does she get the love she needs to thrive? What would you do if you had no Mama or Papa?"

I let my memories travel back to when I left - Mother's goodbyes, Dad's hidden tears... something began to grip me. Emptiness? Sadness? Nostalgia? Sentimentality? I couldn't quite place it, but struck me like a freight train. 

"Okay, I'll love on Mina," I promised slowly, and carefully. "But I still don't have romantic feelings for her, if that's what you're trying to imply. I'm straight." 

Sana guffawed loudly, her plump, rounded cheeks shaking with mirth. "Oh Chaeyoung, from what I've seen, you're anything but straight. You love Mina up and down and..." 

"Shut up!" I boiled, my face escalating to a beet-like complexion. "I didn't ask for your opinions!" Sana merely wiped a tear of merriment from her eyes as she caught her breath. 

"All I'm saying is: Just do your job, and you won't regret it. If you need any help, feel free to ask me, or even Hirai Momo over there. She's into girls." With a wink and a totally unnecessary pat on my head, she hopped up and trotted jollily over to her other friends, and engaged in a genial conversation. 

What am I gonna do?


	4. Chapter 3: My Task Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chaeyoung starts on her mission

"Chaeyoung..." A voice flickered in my ear.

"Ummm...whaaaaaaaaaat..." I groaned as I put an arm over my face in attempt to stay asleep. "It's too early, go away..." 

"Dude, it's seven already. Time to get your butt out of bed, or we'll be late for our early dance rehearsal. Come on, lazy..." and I felt a pair of hands pulling my forearms off my face, and effectively toppling me out of bed. 

"Oof."

"Get dressed!! We have to be there by seven-thirty or we'll all be screwed to high heaven." I cracked open my eyes and made out of the figure of my roommate, Yoo Jeongyeon. "Agh! You left such a mess here last night, it's driving me crazy!" Her voice became shrill as she raced around tidying our room. She's a cleaning fanatic, I observed, recounting the hundreds of times she had already done this. 

Throwing on a comfortable blouse and a pair of shorts, I found myself wandering out of the room and down the hall, to a room where two other people lay asleep. I gave a gentle tap with my knuckles and then called softly. "Hey, Sana...Mina...you awake? It's seven o' clock!" My friendship between the two had deepened over the course of the last couple weeks, and I routinely obliged myself to get the deep-sleepies in a state of semi-conciousness. 

"I am," Sana poked her head out. "But Mina's still snoozing in Lalaland. Maybe you'd better wake her as well," she added with a sly grin. That stupid Sana. 

Have I ever described how cute Mina's face is while sleeping? She has this tranquil and serene aura when her face is relaxed and her hair is still in perfect form. I reached out a finger and poked her shouldler gently. "Mina-penguin, it's time to get up."

Now, let me explain. Like I said in the first chapter, Mina walks like a penguin; feet out, akwardly waddling, and it's adorable as f*ck. Seriously - Sana has had three or ten mini-heart attacks over her cute antics, and I am unwilling to unveil how many I've had (I'll just put this out there: It was over 9000). Another funny Mina thing is that she's obsessed with ketchup. Yep, that acidic tomatoey sauce used on hamburgers and hot dogs. She likes put it on everything; eggs, sausage, rice, etc... everything except Jokbal, that is, because Hirai Momo called it blatant disrespecting of the pig's humble sacrifics to spread such an cheapy sauce on such a work of marvelous culinary satisfaction. Not that it stopped Mina anyways. 

I successfully roused the sleepy and slightly grumpy girl from her dreams, and let her to a restroom to wash up. I stood back and viewed with amusement the drowsily languid way Mina scrubbed her own face with a soapy wash cloth. The way she yawned profusely, and even the way she whined when I told her I'd fix her hair for her was inexplicably endearing. 

"What style do you want?" I asked, as I smoothed her thick and lucious wine-red hair over her shoulders. 

"Does it matter?" She shrugged. 

"For conveniance's sake, maybe," I prompted.   
"Okay, just a ponytail, then." 

"Low or high?"

"Low. High hurts my scalp."

"You got it."

I worked quickly in silence, combing her hair into the neat hairdo she desired. When I finished, I only remarked. "You're done. Do you want to come to breakfast with us?"

"Wait, Chaeyoung-ssi. Look at me." My heartbeat quickens to to the point of almost overtaking a F-18 fighter jet, but I did as she said. Abruptly, her hands began to score my face - against my forehead, down to my temples, but when she reached around my eye area, her fingers moved slowly, gently kneading the bridge of my nose, aross my cheeks, and to my jaw-line. I was taken-aback; I hadn't expected this kind of nature of Mina, and here...

"I'm sorry," she finally apologized. "Ever since I met you, I wanted to know what your face looked like but I was too shy to ask you if you'd let me feel your face. It's always like that."

"N-no, it's okay," I stuttered heavily. "You gotta do what you gotta do, right? So how am I?"

"You have a nice face," Mina decided. "I also think your jawline is pretty. I don't know what you really look like though, only the blueprints." Her face turned wistful, and she whispered under her breath,"I wish I could see." In a louder voice, she pointed out, "But you do know you have a gigantic pimple on your forehead, right?"

Aghast, I took a second look in the mirror and pinpoint the large, hideous facial blemish that marred my facial features. "Oh my God! My skin!" 

It was as if a windchime had sang in the distance when Mina laughed out loud. "You'd better treat it promptly. I can go tell Sana and Momo where you are," she quipped in a cheery voice, and she waddled out of the room with her cane. 

I stared dejectedly at my reflection in the mirror, feeling more embarrassment seep into my soul by the second. However, I didn't have much time to do that, because a glance at my watch indicated I had overstayed my bathroom refuge by ten minutes too late, which caused me to yelp and sprint to the dining hall in order to grab a banana and a carton of milk.

Sana smirked at me as I sped into the room, grabbing my objectives and plopping myself down next to her. "How was your date?"

"Fin-wait, what!? It wasn't a date!" I seethed. "I was helping Mina achieve mandatory cleaniness codes! I was doing my duty!"

"Did you have to stand on a stool to do her hair?" Momo snickered from across the table, addressing my short stature. 

"No," I huffed indignantly. "Mina's not that tall either...I-" 

"YIKES, GUYS! IT'S TIME TO GET RUNNING OR WE"RE GONNA BE DECKED AT DANCE PRACTICE," shrieked Momo without warning as she read her phone.

She and Sana jumped up and sprinted from the dining room, but then I remembered Mina couldn't run (due to obvious reasons) and I decided to help her out. "Get on my back," I said, squatting down and placing her hands on my shoulders. She was hesitant at first, but eventually did so. She's so light, I noted as I stood up. "Alright, I've got your cane. Let's go." With that, I set off at a swift pace, trying not to bang into any walls or adjacent structures that would injure my passenger. My ears had turned red, alright, but overall I felt more calm and collected than before. We arrived at the training room at the same time as the instructor, who shot me a dissaproving expression, but allowed us in the room. I let Mina down, handed her her cane, and scurried to my place - hair messy and out of breath. Sana snuck a coy smile and a thumbs up, which I pointedly ignored. 

<><><><>

"Sorry about deserting you and Mina," Sana later apologized as we walked back to our rooms together, with Mina trailing silently behind us. "I was in a hurry."

"Weren't we all though?" I grumbled. I knew she had done it on purpose so that I could strengthen my relationship with my visually impaired friend. "I mean, I don't hate you for for it, but geez! At least you could've helped me out!" 

"But you gave her a piggyback, right?" Sana pointed out. "Something as little as that meant a lot to Mina. She told me herself how much she was surprised by your compassion. She said she wanted to talk to you later." 

"To me?" My head began to feel strangely fuzzy and light, and nervous, as my innards began to flutter rapidly. "Why do you think she wants to talk to me?"

"Because," stressed Sana. "I think she likes you too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: Not much of a chapter, more fuzziness than anything. My brain's tired; I just got over tonsillities or whatever hellish ailment causes insane sore throat, fever, and lethargy. Hope to pump out more chapters, and I finished Chapter 2, so yay! It was the only chapter I published in a "draft" form. And in case you haven't noticed, Chaeyoung spazzing over Mina's penguin-ness is a direct correlation to my reaction of Mina's adorkableness. Have fun!)


	5. Chapter 4: For Just a Minute

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mina asks a question, and Chaeyoung finds herself without words

"Chaeyoung," Sana said, with her intense eyes aimed directly towards mine. We're sitting alone in the campus dining hall. The subject of our conversation was currently napping in her room. "Mina needs a hand to hold. Everyone needs one. You need one, I need one. We're all in it together. But especially Mina. I've noticed the way she talks with you and the way she always seems calmer and less shy when around you. Please watch over Mina."

I thought long and hard as I processed what Sana related to me. Mina likes me. I like Mina. It's like the unfathomable moment in crush history. I thought it was just those things one sees in Korean dramas, but here it was, happening to me. "So, what do I do to help her?"

Sana sat back and pondered awhile. "She just needs a companion, someone to cuddle her and tell her that they love her. Someone to encourage her smile more and to make her laugh." 

"I'm not funny, though," I protested. "Everyone knows Jeongyeon and I get labled as the 'No jam' girls. She probably wouldn't even understand my jokes," I added, remembering my penguin was of Japanese descent, and wasn't fully able to comprehend Korean language. 

Sana smiled. "I'm sure you'll be able to, eventually. It just takes time, practice, and determination." She stood up and nodded to me. "My job is to help you, Chaeyoung. I know what you need to do, trust me." 

"Thank you, Sana. I really appreciate your help," I acknowledged with gratitude. "You're my lifesaver."

"Hey, since I've given you so many tips, how about buying me one of those chocolate bars?"

"EH?!"

<><><><>

That was a little less than one week ago. Our conversation, I mean. Since that day, my relationship with Mina hadn't progressed in the slightest. In fact, I'd barely see her. We were caught up in so many different training regimines, it was like we were soldiers preparing for war. When Saturday rolled around, I felt so grateful for the opportunity to relax in my bunkbed peacefully. 

"So how's it going?" My roommate, Jeongyeon asked, suddenly out of the blue. She was sitting at her small desk, eating from a bag of Korean chips and watching a Kpop MV. 

"How's what going?" I replied, confused. I stared down at her.

"You...and Mina," said she, returing my perplexed look with a innocent smile. 

"Who told you anything about us?" I questioned irritatedly, feeling my ears warming from embarrassment. 

"Sana did." Oh, that cheeky little Doge. 

"She did, did she?" I swung my legs over the railing on my upper bed and shrugged. "Nothing. Seriously, I haven't spoken a word with her all week. Our workload has been enormous."

"It has," agreed Jeongyeon, munching on another snack. "But that doesn't mean you can't talk to her today, does it?"

"You're right," I admitted slowly. "But she's been napping for awhile. I don't want to wake her."

"Dude," laughed Jeongyeon. "Do you know how much that girl can sleep? I heard she almost slept through the entire initiation speech and nobody noticed! Haha, that girl's funny. If you want to talk to her, just wake her up. I'm sure she won't murder you for waking you up, not like Momo did when I tried to rouse her," she added with a rueful chuckle. 

"Well then..." I trailed off as Jeongyeon peered at me expectantly. This hadn't been on any of my weekend plans, and suddenly I knew it should've been. "I guess I'll go now... Thanks Jeongyeon."

<><><><>

Thud. Thud. Thud. 

Just like the first time I stood in front of JYPE's entrance, did my heart palpitate in such a manner. 

Thud. Thud. Thud. 

Oh gosh, why am I so nervous? I stand straight, trying to loosen my balled fists, and feeling the dampness of my palms as my fingers uncurled. I give a light tap to the door with my knuckles. When no one answered, I knocked again. A few minutes passed by when a very disheveled and sleepy Mina peeped out while holding her cane like a weapon. 

"眠い~" she grumbled in Japanese. "Who's  there?"

"Mina!" I grabbed her attention. Her face lifted almost instantly and she brightened. 

"Chaeyoung! It's so nice to talk to you again! Please come on in," she offered. I stepped inside and shut the door carefully. The blind girl tottered her way back to her bed on the lower bunk and patted the blanket next to her. "Please feel free to sit here."

I obligedly accepted the offer and tried not to sniff the wonderful scent of her hair, a creamy gentle strawberry shampooing. "How's your day been?" I started awkwardly. 

"Aside from working my butt off with choreo this morning, not much," she shrugged. "I know all the movements we need to do, yet I can't even remember a single position. People get mad at me when I mess up," she added softly. 

"I know what you mean," I affirmed. "I've taken a couple tumbles recently. Nothing serious, of course, but it pissed of the dance coaches."

Mina grinned. "There's a couple nice people who help me out, though."

"Like who?" I prompted, eager to hear the heavenly names of the godly beings who supported my baby peng...I mean, Mina. 

"Mostly Hirai Momo and Chou Tzuyu. They're both kind and cooperative. I've done much better due to their interventions."

"That's nice," I said, all of a sudden feeling bothered. "Good for them."

"You're not jealous, are you?" Mina wondered, cupping her ear with her head. "You sound vexed."

"No, I'm not. Really," I answered, knowing that was exactly what was happening. "Why would I be jealous of people helping you out? That's stupid."

"Because you like me," reasoned Mina. I almost suffocated on my own spit. I had never explicitely announced my affection for her, and here, she knew the whole time.

"Woah, hold it, hold it." I ordered in my strong voice, yet I could feel myself cracking from humiliation. "I do not think in that manner. That's hogwash!"

"So you don't like me?" Mina inputted, with a bit of dejection in her voice. "Oh......okay. That's fine, I just though.....nevermind."

I could slap myself silly right then and there. Denying myself in front of the person I loved. How idiotically foolish could I be? I had every right to just punch myself right across the jaw, but instead, I just sat there in silence. Mina was unbearablyly reticent, too. I've done it. I've gone and hurt her feelings. I should just die. That was the worst thing I've done in my entire life, and I felt like shit. I'm a jerk. Finally, I couldn't take the sufforcating quiescence any longer. "Mina," I spoke. "I'm sorry. I'm wrong. I do like you. I like you a lot. You mean a lot to me, and I'm terribly sorry for what I've just said and done. I should've never expressed that. I'm sorry."

She was quiet for a length of time that seemed to exceed a millenium, but her voice brought me back to life a bit. "No, Chaeyoung. It's my fault, really. I was a fool for jumping to conclusions so quickly. I just assumed you liked me because you always treatedly me so fairly and so gently. I've never met a person who acted like you, and not out of sympathy. You gave me hope for a better life than the one I had been living. That's why..." her eyes began to swim with tears as she choked out the last of her sentence. "I figured you were the one. The one to love me." 

This time, I gathered her in my arms, and pressed my cheek against the top of my head as she sobbed. This was the first time I ever hugged Mina, and the warmth of her shaking body made me draw her in closer. I just let her weep, breaking the dam of fustration, confusion, and hurt I had caused her. It was never her fault; I was the single perpatrator to this waterworks and it hurt me. When her tears finally ran dry, she still remained snuggled comfortably in my arms, like a kitten.

She raised her head, still occasionally hiccuping from the recent bout of lamentation. She leaned closer, her face nearing mine. I gulped and shuddered as her lips grazed my ear. "Tell me, Chaeyoung-sshi. If I saw your face for just a minute..." her voice softened when she realized our close proximity. "Would I like what I saw?"

<><><><>

I was dumbfounded by her question, finding myself at a lack of words. "If you could...see my face? I can tell you what I look like if you want. I have black hair, kind of large eyes, red lipstick..."

"No, no," Mina shook her head. "That's not what I mean. I don't want to know what you look like physically. I want to know what you look like. Your face. How your eyes move. What emotions you depict. Everything. You could be the prettiest person in the world, but you could have the most rotten heart of anybody on our planet. You never know."

What would Mina see in me? I don't know; I never once took this idea to mind before. Would she like it? Again, I have no clue. I want answers. "How do you perceive me as, by my actions?"

"Oh, you're a very thoughtful person," Mina immediately stated. "You're smart and resilient. But I don't know everything about you. When I had my sight as a younger girl, I'd always be able to tell if someone was a good person or not, just by how they acted. But now, I can only rely on how they treat me and their voices."

"Mina. I'm not a fake person. Yes, I have my share of ups and downs, hardships and good times, hatred and anger and all the stuff a worldly person encounters. But there's someone I want to cherish. Someone I want to show my genuineness to. Someone I want to prove my worth to. I am never going to act in a way that would hurt that person, or let her down. Mina," I swallowed hard. "That 'somebody' is you." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Yo, whassup guys! Long chapter - at least for me. +1700 words is a little more than what I normal concoct for fanfics, but hey, not a bad thing. Oh my gosh, this chapter took my forever to begin. I just couldn't think of a good introduction! Geez, and after the intro part, everything just flowed from my fingers, to the keyboard, to the screen. Easy-peezy. This chapter isn't as playful, not as light as the chapter before, but I added a couple "make ya smile" moments to enhance the mood. I'm going to have much difficulty figuring out what happens next - as I never really thought it would come this far - but if you guys have some cute light moments in mind, comment them for goodness sake! I need all the help I can get! Anyhoo, I'm out - it's 10:30 P.M here, and I am not wearing my glasses. Both me and my eyes are tired. Read, enjoy, vote, comment, but most importantly, have fun! Bye!)


	6. Chapter 5: Her Brother, Ideal Types, and Hot Chocolate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The duo spends a day discussing various topics that interest them.

Warning: This Chapter is but a draft. Read now or come back later for the full chapter!

"Chaeyoungie..." murmured Mina in her usual somnolent ways, leaning comfortably against my back as she scratched her nose absent-mindedly. I couldn't help but let a grin escape my lips as she yawned. Together, we were seated on one of the big sofas that aligned the dorm's 

"Yes?" I responded in an equally gentle tone, squeezing the tips of one of her fingers. 

"I miss him," she asserted in a calm voice.

"Who?" I asked, on alert, wondering if this aforementioned "him" was a former associate or colleague of Mina, or even worst, an ex-boyfriend. 

"Jackson." Mina ran a hand through her wine-colored hair and sighed deepy.

"That name strikes me as familiar," I stated, confused. "Yet I've never met him, nor have you talked about him." 

"He was my older brother. He's been missing for a long time." 

Oh, I remember Mina mentioning him when we first began living at JYP. "I have a brother named Jackson, but I haven't seen him for awhile now." 

"Was he a nice guy?" I probed carefully. 

"Jackson... He looked like one of boys who likes to pick fights and demonstrates that competetive aura, but you know what? In reality, he was just a big teddy bear. He and I got along very well." 

"What happened to him, then?" 

"I don't know," Mina shrugged. "He just disappeared one day. He was always arguing with our parents - they hated us, you know. We were nothing but money down the drain; especially me because of my sight impediment. They wanted him to marry into a rich family with a wealthy daughter. He abhored her, and I found myself detesting how she treated him." She smiled wryly off into space. "I guess he wanted to escape living a life of regret, so maybe he ran away. Maybe he killed himself. Chaeyoung, I really don't know what happened to my brother." 

"Woah," I was at a lost for words. "He sounds like a nice guy. Too bad he was faced with a sucky life choice like that. What's the point of pre-arranged marriage, anyways? Nobody, on either end, likes it." 

"For the benefits, I suppose," Mina said, considering the possibilities. "Not that the benefits last long." 

"Man, I would hate forced marriage," I declared aloud. "Thankfully, I don't think my parents would ever do something like that." 

Mina giggled. "You would prefer to pick and chose, huh. So would I. What's your ideal type of person?"

I could feel the beginnings of a very warm flush appearing on my face, but I managed to stammer, "Oh, you know, someone who takes care of me, but someone who I can also take care of as well. A fashionable person, perhaps. Someone who appreciates my affection." 

"Really?" Mina's voice is knowing. "That's a good criteria." 

"What about you?"

"Heh," she grinned in a boisterous manner, suddenly more awake than normal. "I like people who can lead me. Not just physically, but who can set me straight on my thoughts." She rubbed her chin. "A person with a clean disposition; someone who is gentle and friendly and nice. And most importantly," she held up a finger. "Someone who is conclusive, influencial and resolute." 

"I see," I nodded, mentally seeing if I checked in any of those categories. "Those are also excellent standards for you ideal man." 

"Ideal...man?" Mina's voice sounded perturbed. "Who said anything about...men?"

"W-well..." I floundered. "My bad, I just assumed..." 

"Again," Mina wagged her index. "Never make assumptions with me." She flashed her gummy smile. "I'm not who I look like."

AWKWARD.

<><><><>

We never really touched upon the subject again, nor brought it up. Every time I thought about it, waves of mortification would run through my body, and I wish I could erase that conversation from my head. Assumptions, assumptions, damn assumptions. Never again, I promised myself. Never again would I make another assumption about Mina. 

She's just so...different...

Jeez. 

Help me. 

<><><><>

Because Mina lacked her eyesight, and thus any connection to anything visual, I found she was extremely attached to music. It didn't really matter the genre, but she told me her favorite music included classical and symphonic rock. As a fan of music myself, I realized how engaging and interesting it was to indulge upon the topic of choice songs. Frequently, on a free day, we'd meet at a nearby cafeteria to talk about the meanings of our favorite tunes. 

At the café, Mina's favorite drink was hot chocolate. She'd always order it with a swirl of snow white whipcream decorating the top. Every time, a little bit of that fluffy stuff would appear on her nose, and I'd always laughingly wipe it off for her. 

"So..." I began, cradling my own cup of coffee in my hands and subconciously staring into Mina's face, expecting her to return my gaze. "Anything new you like?"

"There's one song," Mina answered, fishing through her bag. "Sana recommended it to me. It's by an American singer, but it's very beautiful. It sounds sad, though when I think of the lyrics, it has a lot more meaning than I thought it would."

"You understand English?" I asked, impressed. 

"Only a little," she admitted. "Not fluently, but my parents used to speak it all the time around, so I picked it up."

"I see."

"Would you like a listen?" She offered an earbud from across the table, which I accepted and placed in my ear. "Ready? Okay, here it is..." And the melody started playing. The calming tune of a piano introduces a woman's gorgeous voice, and she begins to sing in a lovely, yet emotional voice. 

*I'm so tired of being here  
Suppressed by all my childish fears  
And if you have to leave  
I wish that you would just leave  
'Cause your presence still lingers here  
And it won't leave me alone

These wounds won't seem to heal, this pain is just too real  
There's just too much that time cannot erase

When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears  
When you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears  
And I held your hand through all of these years  
But you still have all of me

Mina was right. The song was sad. I listened to it with closed eyes as the vocalist's tone turned from sorrowful and soft to confused and questioning. I let it pull me from where I sat and enjoyed the clarity and poignancy. I looked up and noticed something sparkling in Mina's eyes. She sensed my movement, and turned away, wiping her eyes. Letting the tune come to an end, I asked, "Were you crying?"

"Chaeyoung, have you ever had the realization that someone else understands your problems more than yourself? Have you? It's a strange thing, really. I listened to this song so much and I've come to the understanding; I don't even know who I am. I don't know what I am. I don't know where I am. I don't know anything. You can't love someone else if you don't know yourself, I recall that much. Just...how do I learn about myself?" Her tone is almost repentant as she cradles her face in her hands. "Really, Chaeyoung, I want to live as a strong person. I really do. But how? I'm blind; I can't do anything I've wanted to do. I can't even see those who I love." 

I want to answer her. I want to give her my utter support - to let go of my doubts and erase hers. But I don't know what to say. How do people in dramas always do it? It's written on the script, by some fantastically talented director. Me? I'm just a normal person. I don't have the wisdom of the saints. So instead of replying in words, I picked up her phone. 

"What are you doing?" She asked as I began to tap away at the available music selection, to a certain song I knew that would help her comprehend her existence to me. "Chaeyoung....What are yo..."

"Sssh," I told her gently, sliding off the table, and moving to her side. I wrapped my arms around her neck. "Listen." 

**Heart beats fast  
Colors and promises  
How to be brave  
How can I love when I'm afraid to fall  
But watching you stand alone  
All of my doubt, suddenly goes away somehow

One step closer

I have died everyday, waiting for you  
Darling, don't be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years  
I'll love you for a thousand more

Mina's expression is genuinely surprised as she listens to the flow of the song. I chose the song to remind her my heart; I never want her to feel secluded, to be that lonely girl she'd always been. Every time I felt myself being borne away by the harsh reality of the world, I'd remind myself of Myoui Mina. The most beautiful girl I'd ever met, but also the most broken girl I'd ever met. "Chaeyoung..." her voice faltered as my grip tighted. I felt wet splotches on my arm sleeves beginning to form from the tears sliding down her cheeks, but I didn't care. I wasn't let go. I was never gonna let go. My face was flushed scarlet, but I knew I was doing the right thing. 

"Chaeyoung, thank you," Mina finally spoke. "Thank you for everything. Thank you for being here for me. Thank you for speaking with me. Thak you for listening to music with me. Thank you for spending time with me. Thank you for loving me. You are truly a one in a million type of person. Chaeyoung, I only ever poured my heart out once to someone, but now, I've done it twice. I'm like a fool, but you turned a page in my life, and changed my view of living. Chaeyoung, stay with me forever." 

<><><><>

*(Song lyrics property of Evanescence. I do not own anything) 

**(Song lyrics propety of Christina Perri. I do not own anything.) 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N - Agh! Squee! I did it! I actually wrote something kinda, sorta decently good and meaningful...I think... The first part is awkward, yeah, I know. And I struggle with not using be-verbs, but writing this wais fun because I tried writing in a style I never wrote (well) before; angsty. I kinda squeed during the end with the Chaengie hugging Mina, and I am trying hard not to end this story with so little chapters, but.... I'm running out of useful content. I might change things up nearing the end, so...beware! Have fun! Read and do all the things a good AFF reader does! 


	7. Chapter 6: I See You (Finale pt. 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something terrifying happens

I opened my eyes, and found myself situated empty whiteness. No walls, no doors, no windows. Causiously, I stand, but it feels as if my toes aren't touching the ground. It's like I'm floating over the air. Where am I?

Hello, Chaeyoung.

I whipped my head to my left, and make out a figure dressed in a billowing white dress. Her back was facing me, but as I got closer, I recognized the unmistakeably slim figure and fair skin. 

"M-Mina?"

Hello, Chaeyoung. She repeated without turning. You are here. 

"I am where?" I asked, frantically trying to reach her. It was like my feet were pushing against loose sand; my attempts to touch Mina were futile. 

You are with me. Now Mina turned and gave me a sad, withering smile. We are alone in this together. You and I. There's something about her I wasn't understanding - the glassiness of her eyes, the hollow smile, the lilt in her voice.  

"Mina, what are you saying?" I said desperately, feeling strange panic rise in my chest. "Mina!" 

Chaeyoung, I'm sorry. 

"Mina! What are you sorry about?" I pleaded, feeling tears of desperation beginning to prick my eyes, and I blink away some of the blurriness. "Why won't you tell me what's going on, Mina? Is this a dream or something?" 

I am not a person you will know anymore, Son Chaeyoung. I am not the Myoui Mina you know." She walked across the barrier I had been trying to break through, each step planted elegantly and precisely. That's right; Mina is a ballerina. Each movement closer to me, my heart sped up a little faster. 

Thud. Thud. Thud. 

"Mina..." I croaked, breaking down when her warm arms embraced my shoulders. "Are you...?" 

"Yes," she whispered. "I am. But first, Son Chaeyoung, before I leave. Answer my question seriously this time," she begged, stroking the skin on my cheek. 

"What question?" 

If I had seen you for just a minute, would I like what I saw."

That question. The question that had been ripping through my heart every time I was with Mina. Would she? My imperfect self? Would I worthy of her gaze?

"Mina," I answered finally. "I am not strong, I am not fast, I am not unbreakable, and mostly, I am not perfect. Mina, I am not a desirable person. I screw up important things; I make mistakes. If you saw me," I swalloed truthfully. "You would not like me at all." 

Fair enough. She dismissed my words with a wave of her hand, and I felt a pang of regret stab my heart. Maybe I chose my words wrong. I watched as she began to walk away from me, back turned once again. 

"Mina!" I screamed, but this time there was no response. She appeared to ignore my calls. "Mina! MINA!" My throat became raw and hoarse from yelling, but she disappeared into the whiteness. 

Dizziness began to overtake me as I wobbled from fatigue and sobs. I dropped to my knees, but instead of the floor supporting me like it had before, I began to fall, tumbling and twisting like a ragdoll. The ground was in sight, and I braced myself for a grisly impact. 

*GASP*

I looked up, and I was not in the whiteness anymore. Instead, I was lying in my dorm bedroom. The edges of my face are streaked with tears, and turning to my left, I saw a concerned Sana staring at me. "You okay? You were dreaming something fierce just now. Jeongyeon told me to watch you." 

I shook my head and tried to recollect my thoughts, but I found myself just weak and breathless, like I had just ridden the fastest rollercoaster in the world. My head pounded with every thud of my heartbeat. 

"Jeongyeon said you were screaming and screaming something incomprensible earlier," Sana declared, standing and beginning to tidy the room. "She said how worried she was for you, but she didn't know how to care for you, so she allowed me in." 

"M...M..." I tried to speak, but my jaws felt jelly-ish and wouldn't form the words I wanted to say. 

"What is it?" Sana bent and cupped her ear attentively. "You want to say something." 

"M...M...M-Mina...Where's Mina?" I finally rasp. "I need to see, Mina!"

"Mina?" Sana had a weird, perplexed look on her face. "Chaeyoung, don't you remember? Mina is..."

...

[End of Part 1]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N - Nailbiting, hair-raising, emotion-drawing, horrifying - how would you describe this chapter? I personally felt it was exciting but also terrifying. What happened to Mina? Why's Chaeyoung so freaked out? What's going on? I wanted to put a spin to my FF, and make it a little more interesting. It's a short chapter, yes, but I had a bunch of fun writing it. Stay tuned for Part 2, and Finale End!)


	8. Chapter 7: I See You (Finale pt. 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (A/N - Wow. Wow. I wasn't planning that...like, at all. Okay, maybe a little. For like, 15 minutes. I suddenly gained an infactuation with center text...like "Oooh ah!" (JK, bad joke). And I really hope you guys find this an interesting ending. It might not be satisfying, because we all want that "happily ever after", but truth be told, I think changing it up makes it more realistic. MiChaengers, please continue to read, vote and enjoy. :) 

Sana stared at me incredulously. "Chaeyoung, you can't remember? Mina went in for a procedure that JYP-nim said might help her eyesight. She's in the hospital currently." 

Suddenly, it hit me like a brick. That's right. I remember now. But what was that dream about? Was it some sort of premonition? If so, that was terrifying. 

Sana leaned back. "It's a long operation, and a delicate one. Worst comes to worst, Mina will remain sightless, but if it is successful, she will regain her sight. It's amazing what technology can do these days," she added. 

"Yeah," I agreed, sitting up. "She's a fighter, though. I know she will be fine."

Grinning, Sana pushed a finger into my cheek, effectively squishing it. Curse my baby fat. "Haha, I can see how attached you are to that girl. Dramatically yelling 'Mina!' in your sleep, saying nice things about her...it's like a television series!"

I swatted her intruding forefinger away, and blushed. "Shut up."

"Awwwwwww," cooed the crazy Japanese girl. "She's embarrassed. What a tsundere!"

"Don't go pushing your silly Japanese lables on me," I huffed. "I'm not a tsundere! I'm not anything! I'm Chaeyoung!"

Sana smiled, but her expression turned wistful. "You know, I've been here training for awhile now. Trainee work is hard. I don't get how Mina does it. She gets yelled at for making mistakes in dancing; she gets grilled for not singing high enough notes; everything. And she's blind, for that matter. How does she do it?"

I shrugged. "That's a matter that I doubt either you or I'd understand. Mina is an amazing, if you ask me. She always tries her best, even when the instructors get mad. She brushes it off and tries harder than before. I admire her for that."

"I'm an only child," she explained. "I don't have any siblings. So when I came here, I was eager to make friends. I met Momo, and she soom became my best friend, but when I met Mina, I felt differently about her. I wanted her as my little sister. She looks so fragile and innocent, but she's tougher than I am. Speaking Japanese with her makes me feel at home."

"Don't you guys have different dialects?"

"Yeah, but it doesn't really matter. After awhile, I noticed Mina's Kansai accent got strong. Momo said It's my fault," Sana guffawed heartily. "That made me happy."

"So?" I probed. "Do you feel like you've gotten closer to her?"

"Yes," she replied adamantly. "She's my lil' sis." 

"Are you..." I was hesitant to ask my question. "Do you...like my relationship with Mina?"

Sana paused and comtemplated. "I have no problems with it at all. She's yours, I'm Tzuyu's, Momo is Jeongyeon's; we're all made for someone and someone is made for us. You found your someone. She's perfect for you, in my opinion." 

There was a brisk knock outside the dorm room. Jeongyeon poked her head in. "Just to let you guys know, one of the managers said that Mina is done, but she's going to stay overnight as they found a minor defect in one of her eyes. I think he said that they want to make sure the procedure didn't cause this defect to get worst." She shrugged. "Guess you'll be seeing your baby penguin tomorrow." Lately, as boyish and outgoing as Jeongyeon was, she'd always call Mina 'baby penguin' as some sort of endearing nickname of sorts.  It seemed like everyone loved Mina just as much as I did. 

"Well," Sana declared, winking at Jeongyeon and standing. "There's no use dwaddling here all day. Chaeng, you wanna get some blood flowing and practice our dance routines? JYP knew you weren't feeling well, so he let you off the hook. But seems like you're better, and I don't think the instructors like us being idle for so long."

"Sure."

"C'mon," she grabbed my hand and pulled me. "Breaking a sweat is good for a day like this."

<><><><>

Sana was right. The act of getting my body moving really helped calm my shaken nerves. I'm not a super dancer, but I enjoyed learning the steps and the release of energy was like a detoxification of my soul. Sana seemed to enjoy herself, too, dancing freely but with vigor. It was captivating to watch a normally clumsy and goofy girl suddenly because graceful and connected to the music. 

"Wow," I applauded when she ended her performance. "That was awesome. I wasn't aware of how well you can dance! That was fabulous!"

"Thanks!" She grinned cheerfully. "Momo's been helping me learn the dances, and I've been in turn assisting her Korean." 

"How did Mina learn such good Korean?" I wondered. "I mean, it's not perfect by any means, but she's got grammar and vocab down pretty good. Is it because of the similarity between Korean and Japanese?"

"Porbably that," she agreed. "She's just a bright girl. Those gears in her head are always turning. I swear there are moments where she's bested me at wit, but she can't translate it to Korean, so she says it in Japanese...

...."

"Sana?"

The older girl wiped a hand across her eyes. "She's been through so much, she lost her eyesight, she's endured probably some of the worst separation in her life, but she still has that bright gummy smile and silly penguin walk. She's still here. With us." She shook her head. "I can't help but admire her. Her inspirational factor is amazing."

"Hey yo yo yo!" A perky brunette with flaming orange highlights poked her head into the room. I instantly recognized the goodnatured and fun-loving Kim Dahyun. "Guys, the practice room is gonna be used soon for a practice session, so I think the instructor wants this place cleared."

"Got it! Thanks Dubu!" Sana called. The pale-skinned girl winked and skipped out of sight. I wiped a bead of sweat from exertion and said decidingly, "Well! It seems we are in need of some vitals. To the Cafeteria, Sana!"

The rest of our day was mostly spent in an amiable companionship, going from place to place and chatting about various topics, like about Mina, Mina, and Mina. I learned more about that girl than I ever did about anyone. Her comforts, her emotions, her personality type. 

<><><><>

I felt jittery when I slipped under the covers for that night. The sound of Jeongyeon's peaceful snoring had me at ease, but I was still nervous of the events for tomorrow. Mina would be back, and she might be able to see. The prospect of that gave me butterflies in my stomach. It was both intruiging yet scary. 

<><><><>

"Chaeng,"

"Mmpph" 

"Chaengie, it's morning." 

"But I don't wanna..."

"Mina's coming home, remember? And we have dance rehearsal soon. Um, ten minutes."

The sudden relation of time made me spring out of bed and yelp as my toe collided painfully with Sana's shin, who equally gave a sqeal. "Ow! Sorry Sana..." and carefully felt to make sure my toe hadn't magically sailed off my foot. (Implausible, but not impossible, just sayin'...)

"Good morning!" Sana seemed to disregard my ungraceful appearance. "This is a morning you shalt see you beloved Mina. Thou shalt get get ready," and tossed me a hand towel. "And scrub that pimple in the middle of your forehead. It looks awful!" Agh, that thing again. 

I did as told and found myself feeling more refreshed and eager. I joined her, Momo, Dahyun, and Jeongyeon and ran to the training room and snuck through the door to stand innocently next to the other members who had arrived earlier, gathering disapproving stares from the instructor. 

<><><><> 

"Chaeng, Mina's arriving in 15 minutes," Sana said urgently. "Be prepared.Ju"

"What? C'mon Sana, it's not like I'm meeting some sort of celebrity! She's Mina."

"To you, she is," she confided in a gentle voice. I never heard Sana use that tone before and it made me really wonder; was Mina something more than what I thought of her?

"She requested that you sit in one of the recording booths with your eyes closed." 

"Wha...?"

"Just do it," she urged, and grabbed my wrist, pulling me to one of the tranquil, sound-proof, white-walled space. There were two chairs already set up, spaced evenly and facing each other. That made me a little nervous; one on one confrontation with Myoui Mina, the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. 

Sana left, and I was left in the echoing silence. My heart began to beat a little harder. 

Thud. Thud. Thud. 

What if she's different with her eyesight?

Thud. Thud. Thud. 

What if she won't like me anymore?

Thud. Thud. Thud. 

The quiet solitude made my thoughts resound through my head like thunder. Then all became still. 

I heard the door open and a soft voice speak. "Chaeyoung, please don't open your eyes yet." 

"But Mina..." 

She didn't say anything, but I could tell she was walking closer to me until she was only a inches away. I sniffed. A gentle fragrance relateable to that of tranquility and purity. But I caught the faint trace of hospital chemicals. I shuddered. That scent did not suit Mina at all. 

I felt something cool and black cover my eyes and tighten as Mina tied it. I felt rather confused. 

"Mina?"

"Please, Chaeyoung, let me do this." 

So I patiently waited as she pulled the blindfold. Then when I was certain she had sat in her seat, started. 

"Mina..."

"Yes?"

"This is the blindfold, the blindfold you wore on the day of the auditions." 

"It is indeed."

"Why Mina?"

"I wanted you to wear it. Chaeyoung, right now you have a very perplexed expression. You look confused about what I did. You're contemplating my actions."

"That's right. How am I?"

"Pardon?"

"How do I look?"

There was a considerable silence. 

"You are very pretty."

"Really?"

"Yes, your eyes are cute and so are you lips. Your smile is cute. You're smiling right now."

"I certainly am! Mina, you don't know how much I've missed you."

"The hospital was lonely and big, and too noisy. The sounds of suffering was unbearable. I missed you too."

"Mina..."

"I wish you would've visited."

"I'm sorry, I couldn't. The managers wouldn't let me."

"That's okay. I'm used it..."

"Mina, please don't talk that way. You have me, and Sana, and Momo. We're always here for you." 

"I know." 

"Mina, don't know if you know this, but I love you a lot. You're amazing and incredible."

"Chaeyoung..."

"I'm serious. I love you so much, it hurts my heart to ever see you in such a miserable state. I know you're hurting; I know deep down you're lonely; I know you want to be loved. Mina, I believe that's why I am here. To love you. To be the source of affection you didn't have for such a long time." 

"Thank you, Chaeyoung. For saying that. I love you, too. You are so nice and comforting, I appreciate it."

"Can I remove the blindfold now? Why'd you make me wear it?"

"To experience my return like how I'd experience it."

"So, do you have your sight back? Or partially?"

"..."

"Mina?"

I heard some hiccuping sniffles beginning to strengthen. 

"Mina, what's wrong?"

"No, Chaeyoung..."

"What?"

"It didn't work. The operation. The surgery. It didn't work. I'm the same as before."

"But how did..."

"I lied."

"Eh?"

"I wanted to talk to you. There were words I needed to hear, and you said them." 

"Oh Mina..."

Her voice sounded as if it were threatening to crack as she began to cry. 

"I'm no different than before, Chaeyoung. The procedure was useless. My sight will never be restored. I will remain like this for the rest of my life. Chaeyoung, I will never see your face."

I felt my own tears prick my eyes, but I ignored them and pulled off the blindfold, grabbing Mina in my arms and pulling her close. She curled up and sobbed, as I gently stroked her hair. 

"Mina."

"Y-yes?"

"I love you...

 

I love you."

 

 

The End. 


End file.
